Updated 12:44 am, Wednesday, May 8, 2013

BROOKFIELD -- The beat went on for the Masuk softball team on Tuesday. The Panthers remained undefeated as Tatum Buckley pitched a two-hitter in an 8-1 victory over Brookfield in a battle of SWC contenders.

Buckley, a junior right-hander, struck out five and walked none in a complete-game effort. She has been the pitcher of record in every game this year for the Panthers (16-0, 12-0) and has pitched all but a handful of innings all season.

Ashley Fedor had a triple, two singles, three RBIs and two runs to lead the Panthers' 12-hit attack. Buckley helped her cause with two hits and a walk, and her courtesy runner, Becca Tillotson, scored three runs on her behalf. Tori Schiebe added two singles and two RBIs and Steph Appelberg had two singles.

"I'm just really proud of the way our girls are approaching each game," Masuk coach Jacqueline Sheftz said. "We're taking it one game at a time, we have a positive outlook, we're playing on the balls of our feet and we're going out and earning victories."

Brookfield (13-3, 9-3) had won seven straight since losing to defending SWC champion Oxford on April 22.

Buckley was handed a 3-0 lead before she ever threw a pitch, as Masuk scored three runs -- all unearned -- in the top of the first. Buckley, the Panthers' leadoff batter, drove the first pitch of the game into left field for a single. With one out, back-to-back errors by the Bobcats' infield -- one by Jess Cundari at third base and one by Felicia Lennon at shortstop -- loaded the bases. Schiebe then blooped a two-run single to left, and Kyla Cannon followed with an RBI single to left to make it 3-0.

"The first inning set the tone, giving up those three runs," Brookfield coach Frank Bonacci said. "Those two errors were big. If we make those plays, we're out of the inning 0-0 and the whole complexion of the ballgame would be different."

Fedor's RBI triple in the second -- a long, majestic fly ball to left -- made it 4-0. Fedor then grounded a two-out, RBI single up the middle in the fourth to make it 5-0.

Brookfield got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Danielle DeMarco led off the inning by lining a sharp single to left, but when the ball hit the sun-baked outfield, it shot past Masuk left fielder Kayla Champagne and allowed DeMarco to come all the way around to score. That was Brookfield's second -- and final -- hit of the afternoon, the other being a one-out single to left by Ashley Lamparelli in the second inning. After DeMarco scored, Buckley retired the next 12 Bobcats in order to close out the game.

"Tatum is Tatum right now," Sheftz said. "She's in a good place, she's moving the ball around, she's hitting her spots and her catcher (Kayla Crisci) is doing a fantastic job of framing for her. They're really in synch as pitcher and catcher."

Masuk tacked on three more runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Consecutive one-out singles by Buckley, Appelberg and Fedor, followed by a two-run triple down the third-base line by Melissa Peet, accounted for those runs.

DeMarco pitched a complete game for Brookfield, striking out two and walking one.

"It's a disappointing loss because we were riding a nice winning streak," Bonacci said. "(Masuk is) undefeated and they have a very good team, but I thought we would have a better game.

"We didn't play a horrible game," Bonacci added, "but we didn't play an `A' game, and that was what we needed coming in here today in order to beat this team."

Brookfield has an important game coming up next Wednesday, as the Bobcats will visit Newtown and play under the lights at Treadwell Park at 7 p.m. in the inaugural Sandy Hook Memorial Game. It promises to be a fun night at the park, complete with a public address announcer and a D.J. -- not to mention a good game of softball between two perennial powers. Admission will be free, and donations will be collected and given to charities related to the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.